Improvement in stone pavements



S", GROSS sT'oN-E' PAVEMENTS;

@Pat ented March- 13, 1877.

verzcor NPETERS, PMDTO-LITHOGRAPHE R. WASHINGTON. n, t.

NITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

SAMUEL E. GROSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPRQVEMENT IN STONE PAVEMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188,357, dated March13, 1877; application filed February 28, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. GROSS, ofChicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Pavements, which is fully set forth in thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1is a longitudinal vertical section of one form of my pavement. Figs. 2and 3 are longitudinal vertical sections of modifications of the same;and Fig. 4, a top view of the grooved, recessed, or cellular naturalstone foundation slabs or blocks.

Preliminary to the exact description of my invention, I may be permittedto state that in it I have endeavored to avoid many of thewell-recognized defects of known pavements, and to combine in it many ofthe requisites which I conceive to be necessary to the successfulpavement of the future for streets and roadways, namely: first,independent durability, permanence, and solidity of the foundationstructure, combined with partial elasticity of the upper or wearingsurface of a pavement; second, facility of taking up to excavate forwater and gas mains, renewing, replacing, or repairing any part of thepavement without disturbing the integrity of the other portions thereofthird, a simple and inexpensive mechanical union of the upperwearing-surface with the foundation, so that while the former rests uponand is retained in position by the latter, yetthe former can be readilychanged, repaired, or renewed without disturbing the latter; fourth,simplicity of construction and abundance of material.

Referring to thedrawings, A designates in all the figures natural-stoneslabs or blocks,

provided with recesses a, in which the wood,

stone, brick, or composite blocks B are insert ed or placed, or whichact as keys to the concrete or composite wearing-surface, as shown inFig. 3.

I have selected natural stone for my foundation. upon and in which thewearing-surface is placed, because they are more durable and lessexpensive in most localities than iron, concrete,riprap, burned earthblocks, or artificial stone,and because, by the use .of the improvedmachinery now extant for working stone, any

desired shape and surface configuration can be effected with but littlemore than the expense of handling the stone; and, besides, durability,bulk, and weight are necessary to the stability of a good foundation,which can be effected 'in natural stone more readily and cheaply than inany other material. These naturalstone, foundation slabs or blocks maybe of any suitable or desirable form and size, and in their upper sidesor surfaces I form cells, channels, grooves, cavities, or hollowcompartments of any suitable or desirable form, size, and depth. Theseblocks maybe either uniform or differing in size and shape, and thecells, channels, grooves, cavities, and hollow compartments may beeither .uniform or irregular in form, size, and depth, and in theirsuccession and arrangement. Upon these blocks, properly laid upon asuitable foundation, I place the upper or wearing course of any suitablematerial or materials, and of any desired thickness.

In many cases wooden blocks are preferable for the wearing-surface, incombination with the foundation stone blocks so constructed. The woodenblocks may be of any suitable or desirable form, size, and height,placed either wholly (as in Fig. 2) or in part in and upon thenatural-stone foundatioablocks, (as in Fig. 1,) and held and retained intheir places, either wholly or in part, by the cells,

channels, grooves, cavities, or hollow compartments of the stone blocks,the interstices, if any, being filled with any' suitable material. Forwooden blocks I prefer oblong rectangular ston'e blocks, in the uppersides of which parallel longitudinal channels are formed, about oneinch, more or less, .in depth, and about four inches in width, leaving atongue or ridge of stone between each channel of one inch or more inwidth, and in which channels, continuously arranged, I place the woodenblocks; but I do not limit myself to this form and methodof constructionand combination. The repairing or renewing of the upper section of apavement so constructed can be made with great ease and little expense,for any disintegrated or depressed block or blocks can be removedwithout disturbance to any other part of the pavement and replaced bywooden blocks of sufficient height to cause a smooth and levelroad-surface, and upon a foundation more firm and secure than when firstlaid.

In other cases, and asshown in Fig. 3, asphaltum, bituminous, or otherconcrete, or compositions of any suitable character, may be used, incombination with the recessed stone foundation, for the top orwearing-surace. 7

In case the upper or wearing surface of the pavement is not water-tightor water-proof, either in material or construction, or both, andsufiicient drainage is not afl'orded in the construction of the pavementby suitable curvature or inclination of the sub-bed, or of the stonefoundation-blocks, or formation of the channels, cells, 860., orotherwise, any number their sides, one with or by the other, by any of.2 p was" the well-known devices, or not, as may be preferable. Theupper course or wearing-surface is then put down by such methods as aremost suitable and best adapted to the particular substance or substancesused inany given or particular case for the purposes of a pavement for astreet or roadway.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A pavement in which grooved, cellular, or. channeled natural-stoneslabs or blocks are used as a foundation for a surface or wearing.course of any suitable material or materials, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with the natural-stone slabs or blocks, provided withcells, channels, grooves, or hollow compartments, the blocks B, whichform the wearing-surface or upper section, all constructed as described,and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this28thfday of February, A. D. 1877.

SAMUEL E. GROSS. Witnesses:

J 0s. '1. K. PLANT, B. W. SUMMY.

